On Saturday 22 February 8 volunteers joined us for a hand’s-on orchard management workshop which provided them with the opportunity to learn the dos and don’ts of orchard maintenance including how and when to prune trees of different ages, how to maintain soil fertility and assess general tree health.

The workshop was facilitated by Jeremy Turkington of Hometree in a heritage orchard attached to Kane’s Farmhouse, located at Boconnell Lane, Lurgan. Thanks to the work of everyone this orchard has now been revitalised and we look forward to holding an event here in September/October to celebrate the apple crop!

ABOUT JEREMY TURKINGTON

Jeremy has an Honors Degree in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry and a foundation degree in Rural Development and Countryside Management. He is an arborist with 17 years experience across the ecological and environmental charity and land based sectors in Ireland, specialising in ensuring genetic integrity of Forest Reproductive Material in Irish tree nurseries and fostering a consciousness of our indigenous trees and wild woodlands at local level. He has conducted research into improving biodiversity at a catchment scale without the use of subsidies.  He formerly worked as the orchard curator for Irish Seed Savers.